Sanctuary
by Ace of Skulls
Summary: He struggles with memories of his tragic past, afraid to let people in. But when a mysterious stranger enters his life, he may have to overcome his conflicts in order to be happy. AkuRoku, AU, Yaoi. Rated T for mild language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, I'm back already with the first chapter of my new story, Sanctuary. This one's a little shorter, but they will be longer chapters than my previous stories.**

_Okay, let's get started, shall we Eden. First of all, this story contains yaoi, so if you don't like this, don't read it. Flamers will not be tolerated._

**Right. Anyway, let's go.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Kingdom Hearts, though I wish I owned Axel and Roxas. They're so amazing!**

**: : :**

**Chapter 1**

Heavy eyes fluttered open, and he stared at the ceiling for a minute before getting up. The house was quiet. A little too quiet.

'Where's Sora?' he wondered. He walked slowly down the stairs. He could hear someone in the kitchen and went in there, finding a black haired girl working at the stove.

"Morning Xion." he said. She jumped, nearly sending a frying pan full of eggs to the floor.

"Damn, Roxas. Don't do that! You know I don't pay attention when I'm busy." she scolded him. He smiled softly.

"Where's Sora? It is eerily quiet this morning." asked Roxas, pushing his blond hair away from his sky blue eyes. Xion turned to him, her identical blue eyes staring back at him. They all had blue eyes like that.

"Oh, God knows. He didn't come home last night, so I can only imagine he stayed with Riku." she replied. She walked over to Roxas, who had seated himself on a stool at the counter, and handed him a plate with scrambled eggs and bacon.

"Here, eat up. You haven't had a decent meal in a while." she said. Good old Xion, always acting like a mother.

"And Naminé?" Roxas asked. Xion sighed again.

"She and Kairi went to the store. It's just us this morning, but Cloud said he'd stop by later." she explained. Roxas nodded. What a family. Sora, Xion, Kairi, and Roxas, quadruplets. Imagine that, having four kids at once? Poor mom. Then there was Naminé, two years younger than them, and Cloud, who was five years older than them. So, Roxas was sixteen, Naminé was fourteen, and Cloud was twenty one.

"Hello? Earth to Roxas." Roxas snapped up to notice Xion watching him.

"Huh…what? Sorry, I was thinking." he offered weakly.

"I said I heard you last night. Nightmares again?" she asked. Roxas nodded, suddenly thankful that Sora hadn't been home last night. He hated waking his brother with his constant screaming in the middle of the night. Sora was a light sleeper, and they shared a room. Then there was Kairi and Naminé, who also shared a room, and Xion, who stayed in their parents' old room, but rarely slept, like Roxas.

When Roxas and Xion had been eleven, they had been home with their parents while Sora, Kairi and Naminé were with Cloud elsewhere. They were made suddenly aware of an intruder in their home, and their parents had told Roxas and Xion to hide. Roxas and Xion decided to hide under the kitchen table, which was covered by one of those huge table cloths that reached the floor.

They had watched while their parents were murdered. But they couldn't scream. They watched their parents stabbed to death, and when they man fled they had crawled out from under the table and ran to their parents, crying and begging them to get up.

Cloud returned shortly after, and immediately sent Sora, Kairi and Naminé to their rooms, telling Roxas and Xion to sit in the living room where they couldn't see. Cloud then proceeded to call the police, and when they arrived they asked the two children a few questions. Then they left to search for the man. Cloud had held them until they fell asleep, and they woke the next morning screaming for their parents.

The man was caught two days later, and killed in an attempt to escape. That was five years ago, and Roxas still had terrible nightmares. Up until recently he often had terrible breakdowns, and Xion was the only one who could snap him out of them. Xion had also had terrible nightmares, but she hadn't been subjected to the breakdowns, and so she helped Roxas cope. They continued life as normal, and when Cloud finished high school he stayed with them for a year before deciding they were capable enough to take care of themselves. He decided to go to college to get a good job and support the rest of them, and often came by for visits to check on them.

But Xion still worried about Roxas. He had become more secluded every day, and he began to eat less until he became so thin they had to put him on an IV. At that point Xion decided enough was enough, and she began to make sure Roxas was taken care of. Sora and Kairi and Naminé were there for him too, of course, but they hadn't seen what they had, and so they could never really understand.

"Xion?" asked Roxas, snapping Xion out of her memories.

"Yeah? What's up?" she asked. Roxas sighed.

"Nothing." he replied. Xion sighed too. Then she smiled.

"Summer's over in a week. I think we should go to the beach before school starts again. All of us." she said. Roxas looked at her for a minute, then offered a weak smile.

"Sounds good. Let's go tomorrow." he said. Xion nodded.

"Great."

: : :

Tomorrow came too soon, and Roxas found himself riding in the very back of Cloud's truck. Unfortunately, Cloud's truck only had two seats, so when they needed to go somewhere, they would ride in the box. Xion had won the draw from a hat, and was now sitting in the truck with Cloud.

"How's Roxas been?" Cloud asked Xion. She gazed out the window.

"He woke up screaming last night. It was lucky Sora stayed with Riku, he hates when Roxas has nightmares. They've been getting worse too. He's spacing out more often, and more than once we've had a whole conversation and he doesn't remember a thing we've said five minutes later." she replied. Cloud let out a long breath.

"Has he talked to you about it lately?" Cloud asked again. Xion shook her head.

"No, he's been pretty secluded. I mean he talks to us all, but he always seems so vague, so far off. It worries me." she replied. Cloud nodded as they turned into the parking lot outside the beach. He stepped out of the truck, followed by Xion, and everyone else in the back.

"God, it's so hot today!" cried Sora. Cloud laughed.

"All the more reason to get your ass in gear so we can go in the water!" replied Cloud flatly. Sora stuck out his tongue, earning a giggle from Kairi and Naminé, an eye roll from Xion, and a silent smile from Roxas.

"Woah, the king of gloom and doom just smiled! Sound the alarm, Armageddon is upon us!" Sora cried. Roxas frowned again. Without a word, everyone made their way to a changing booth, having simply grabbed everything and jumped in the truck. Luckily, there were very few people on the beach, so most of the booths were empty. Roxas and Cloud were the first ones finished. Roxas was wearing a pair of long red and black shorts and a gray t-shirt, while cloud was in his red swimming trunks. Cloud looked at Roxas.

"Rox, you're supposed to be wearing swimming trunks." he said. Roxas shrugged.

"I don't really feel like going in the water today. I'm just gonna find an umbrella and sit in the shade." he replied. Cloud shrugged and nodded, turning to see everyone else emerging. Xion and Kairi were in identical bikinis, only Kairi's was white with pink stripes, while Xion's was black with light blue stripes. Naminé was in a bikini with a tank top-like top, and Sora was in his red and blue shorts. Kairi chased Naminé into the water while Cloud lifted Sora and threw him to the sea, Sora laughing and thrashing the whole time. Roxas found an umbrella nearby and sat himself on his towel in the shade, laying in the shadow and closing his eyes.

"Tired?" came a soft voice. Roxas opened his eyes and offered Xion a weak smile.

"Yeah. I just need a rest. You go have fun." he said. Xion shook her head.

"No thanks. That water is way too cold, and I need a tan." she replied, laying her towel in the sun and resting on it. "Besides, you look like you could use some company." she added, smiling. Roxas smiled back and closed his eyes again.

"Hey! Heads up!" Roxas' eyes snapped open, and he saw a volleyball headed straight for his head. Before he could react, a foot had kicked the ball away. Roxas looked up to see a tall boy with spiky red hair. It looked like fire.

"Geez, man! Work on your spike!" the boy called to another red head, the one who had hit the ball. He waved.

"Hey Axel, about time you showed up!" called the other. The one called Axel laughed.

"Yeah, just in time to save this poor kid's face." Another boy with blond hair was laughing out loud. Axel turned to look at Roxas.

"Hey, sorry about that. My name's Axel, and that one over there is my athletically inept brother Lea. The blond one is Demyx." he said. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm Roxas, and this is my sister Xion." he replied. Xion smiled and waved, and Axel waved back.

"Well, nice to meet you Roxas, and Xion. See you around, and sorry again." he said, running towards the others. Xion smiled.

"He was cute." she said. Roxas nodded. Xion was also the only one he had actually come out to. Not that any of the others would mind, he just hadn't felt the need to enlighten them. And he felt he could trust Xion to keep his secret, which she had faithfully.

"Guys, time to go!" called Cloud. Sora and Kairi groaned out loud. "Shut up guys, can't you see the storm clouds? It's gonna rain." he countered. They all complied, and Sora, Kairi and Naminé ran back to the truck, while Cloud, Roxas and Xion walked slowly behind.

"So much for a trip to the beach." said Xion. Cloud laughed.

"Oh well, we can go back to the house and watch scary movies for the rest of the day." he said. Roxas smiled.

"Awesome. We got Boogeyman 3." he said. Cloud grinned wide.

"Sweet. Perfect scare material. I think tonight I'll hide in Kairi and Naminé's closet." he said. Xion slapped his arm gently.

"Don't even think about it. You know how Naminé hates being scared." she said. Cloud frowned.

"Yes mother." he mumbled.

**: : :**

**Yay! A great start to a great fanfic, I hope.**

**Also be on the lookout for my other fanfic, a remake of House of Sorrow. Look for the first chapter in the upcoming week!**

**Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aw, I didn't get any reviews. Oh well, here you go. Also, I've integrated with Cross, so you won't be hearing fromhim for a while.**

**Disclaimer: Despite how much I wish I owned Axel and Roxas, I don't, nor do I own Kingdom Hearts.**

**: : :**

**Chapter 2**

School started way too soon.

Roxas sighed and walked into his massive high school. He had made a point of coming extra early so he could avoid a lot of people. Luckily, he found the place absolutely deserted. So he went to the office and got his schedule and locker, and started memorizing all the classrooms he would be going to. When he returned to his locker he was surprised to see Xion at hers. She was two down from him, having Sora to separate them due to the alphabetically arranged lockers. They were near the beginning, because their last name, Hart, began with an H. They had their mother's last name because their parents were never actually married. Cloud's last name was Strife, after their father, because didn't have the same mother as the others.

Roxas sighed and turned to go the other way, and collided with someone else. He was taller than Roxas, and when Roxas looked up he sighed.

Bright red hair like fire, and those bizarre upside down teardrop tattoos under his eyes.

Axel.

The redhead looked down at Roxas for a minute before grinning.

"Oh, hey Roxas! Remember me?" he asked. Roxas forced a smile.

"Yeah, how could I forget that kick?" he said. Axel laughed.

"I know I'm awesome. Anyway, I guess we'll be seeing more of each other. I go to this school now." he said. Roxas frowned.

"Really? I've never seen you around before." he said. Axel smiled.

"Yeah, me and my brother just moved here." he replied. Roxas nodded.

"I guess that makes sense." he stated. Axel smiled.

"You're kinda funny." he said. Roxas frowned. Axel laughed. "That's the cutest face I've ever seen. Anyway, I'm having a welcome to the town party, so if you want to come, you're more than welcome. Your family too." he said. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah, I'll see what they think." he said. Axel nodded.

"Good. Tonight at 9:00 sharp. If you're late I'll tie you up, put you in a garbage can and roll you down the street." he said, smiling. Roxas frowned again.

"You're weird." he said. Axel nodded.

"I try." he replied sarcastically. "Anyway, see you tonight at 9, I hope." Then he was gone, running down the hall. Roxas laughed. Suddenly, something popped into his head.

"Did he call me cute?"

: : :

At 8:45 Roxas and Xion were walking up the path to a huge house. Not like one of those massive mansions, but still a really nice house. Cloud had decided not to go, and the others wanted to stay with him. Roxas knocked twice and the door opened.

"Oh hey Roxas, hey Xion. Come on in." said Axel, grinning widely. They walked in. Axel smiled to Roxas.

"Nice, you're not late. No garbage can this time, I guess." he said. Roxas laughed, walking into the house. It was amazing. When you first walk in the front door, there's a small porch, just concrete and dull gray paint. But you walk up a small flight of stairs and the whole house is open. To the immediate right was another staircase leading up to a second level, and then to a third. The main floor has an open kitchen with a massive island, and there's a small dining area next to the stairs. Then, the living room, which was really nice.

"You're house is amazing." Roxas said simply. Axel smiled.

"Yeah, well that would be our darling mother. She's the head of Ember Enterprises. Me and Lea are used to houses like this. Plus, Demyx lives with us, so it's actually kind of crowded sometimes." he said. Suddenly there was a crash, and Demyx flew down the stairs.

"Oh, come one Axel! I don't take up _that much _space, do I?" he asked, faking a pout.

"Of course not Demyx. I merely meant that we're used to just me and Lea most of the time, so with you and mom around all the time lately, it's crazy crowded." he said. Demyx laughed. Axel turned to Roxas and Xion.

"You guys are a little early, so there aren't many other people around yet." he said. Roxas nodded.

Around 9:00 everybody was showing up. There were a lot of people Roxas didn't recognize, like a blond haired girl who looked like she had antenna, and a creepy looking guy with pink hair, who Axel introduced as Marluxia. Also, there was a slate haired boy that Demyx seemed on good terms with, considering he had his arm around the boy's waist. Then there were people Roxas did know. First was Riku, who was Sora's best friend of all time, and Hayner, who Roxas was good friends with.

"Hey Roxas, how's it going?" asked Riku. Roxas smiled.

"Great, thanks." he replied. Roxas was about to say more when a crazy loud voice interrupted him.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Everything went silent, and suddenly Axel jumped up from his place on the couch.

"Oh shit." he mumbled. Then he started walking to the front door.

"Hello Mother!" he called. Roxas could hear softer yelling, though he couldn't make out the words. Suddenly a tall woman with bright red hair walked in.

"Sorry everyone, but the party is over. Go home." she said kindly. Hardly the kind of woman one would expect to hear such a monstrous roar from.

Roxas looked around to try and find Xion, but she was nowhere to be seen. When over half the people had gone, he still hadn't found her. He started getting worried. It wasn't like Xion to just run off without telling him.

"Can I help you with something?" asked an irritated voice behind Roxas. He turned to see Axel's mother glaring at him. He was about to reply when Axel came up beside her.

"Mom, leave Roxas alone. Oh, Roxas, that reminds me. Your sister asked me to tell you she had to leave. She got a call from you brother, something important. Anyway, I'm sure you were looking for her." he said. Roxas nodded. Then something occurred to him.

"Oh, that means I have to walk home." he said to himself. Axel, however, seemed to have heard him, because he immediately grinned.

"I'll drive you." he said. Roxas shook his head.

"You don't have to." he said. Axel grinned wider.

"Of course I do. You're my guest, and you need a ride." he pressed. Roxas finally nodded.

"Fine. Let's go." he said. Axel smiled and the two left. Roxas turned back just in time to see Axel's mother glaring at them.

: : :

Axel's car was awesome.

A bright red Ferrari with black racing stripes. Roxas had stood staring at it for five minutes before Axel snapped him out of his daze.

"I hope my mother didn't offend you." he said. Roxas shook his head.

"No, she seemed…" he began, but decided not to finish.

"Hot tempered." Axel finished, sighing.

"But then again, that's Renee Ember for you. Not exactly the softest person in the world, but she's fierce and devoted. I feel kind of bad leaving Lea alone with her. Especially since Demyx is off with Zexion." he laughed at the last part.

"Poor Lea." Roxas said quietly. Axel nodded.

"Oh well, she always goes easier on him." he said. Roxas nodded, and looked over at Axel. For the first time, he actually got a good look at Axel's face. His face was thin and angular, and he had rather thin eyebrows, which were as red as his hair. His eyes were an amazing turquoise color. But what fascinated Roxas the most were the purple upside down teardrop tattoos under his eyes.

"You're staring at me." Axel said simply. Roxas realized that they had reached his house. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked. Roxas blushed suddenly and turned away.

"I…uh…I was just wondering about your tattoos." he replied. Axel laughed.

"Oh. Well, it's a family thing, I guess. I mean, Lea doesn't have them, but if you look at my mother, you can see the tattoos under her eyes too. Hers are blue, though. I got purple because, believe it or not, it's my favorite color." he explained. Roxas looked up at him.

"Your favorite color is purple?" he asked. Axel nodded.

"Yeah. Is that a bad thing?" he asked. Roxas shook his head.

"No, I'm just surprised. Mine is red, by the way." he said. Axel nodded.

"Well, anyway, here you are. Sorry the party ended so soon. Maybe we should try again when my mother _isn't _going to be home." he laughed. Roxas smiled. Axel looked over at him.

"That's the first real smile I've seen out of you since we met." he said. Roxas blushed. Axel laughed. "Never mind. I'm studying psychology, and I guess I get a little too into it sometimes. My point is, you should smile like that more often. It looks nice." he said. This only caused Roxas to blush more.

"See you tomorrow." he said, getting out of the car. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Axel waving.

: : :

That night, Roxas was staring at his ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim him. But his thoughts raced, and at the center of it all was a certain fiery haired boy.

"Axel. See you tomorrow."

**: : :**

**Aw, Roxas was thinking of Axel.**

**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay guys, I'm so sorry about the wait. I've been really stressed out lately, and I nearly had a mental breakdown, so I had to take a break for a while. But I'm back with more yummy AkuRoku goodness. Anyway, here you go, Chapter 3 of Sanctuary!**

**Also, watch for the second chapter of House of Sorrow!**

**: : :**

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, Roxas was up at the crack of dawn. He could never really sleep anyway, but at least he always tried to stay in bed until sunrise. Realizing he still had at least three hours before school started, he decided to go see Xion.

She was sitting up in her bed, reading a book. Clockwork Angel, the first book in the Infernal Devices series.

"I think Tessa should end up with Jem. But I have a feeling she'll pick Will." she said when he walked in. Roxas had already read the book, enjoying the series himself, and couldn't help but agree with her.

"Absolutely. I found it kind of funny how Magnus mention black hair and blue eyes being his favorite. That fits Alec perfectly." He replied, naming characters from the adjoining Mortal Instruments series. Xion laughed.

"Yeah, I caught that too. Anyway, what brings you to my lair, little boy." asked Xion. Roxas scowled.

"Hey, I'm 7 minutes older than you." he said. Xion smiled.

"Whatever. What's wrong? Nightmares again?" she asked. Roxas shook his head.

"No. For the first time in five years, I had a good dream." he replied. Xion raised an eyebrow.

"What did you dream about?" she asked. Roxas mumbled something.

"What was that? Didn't quite hear you." Xion said. Roxas sighed.

"Axel." he replied. Xion smiled.

"You had a dream about Axel?" she asked. Roxas nodded.

"Aw, that's so cute. You're falling for him." she said. Roxas scowled.

"Am not!" he replied. Xion shrugged.

"Whatever you say." she replied simply. Then she stood up and walked towards Roxas, smiling.

"I can tell. Just wait and see."

: : :

Roxas was just about to leave when the phone rang.

"Hart residence, Roxas speaking." he answered.

"How formal." said a voice on the other end. Roxas frowned.

"Axel? Why are you calling me before school?" he asked. He heard Axel laugh.

"Well, I unfortunately won't be at school today, but I wanted to invite you and the rest of your family over tonight. This time my mother says it's okay. She'll be here too, so she wants to meet your parents." he said. Roxas grimaced.

"Uh…well…I'll find out about that. My…my parents won't be able to come though, they're…not here, so Cloud is with us. Anyway, I'll call you later and give my reply." he said.

"Alright. Talk to you later." Axel replied. Roxas nodded to himself.

"Yeah, bye." he hung up. Roxas sighed deeply.

"Damn it." he mumbled.

: : :

Roxas, as usual, was at school early. There was nobody in his hall, except for a couple making out on a bench at the end of the hall. As Roxas got closer he froze. He suddenly realized just who the couple was.

One of them was Sora, and the other…was Riku!

"Sora…!" Roxas squeaked before he could stop himself. Sora leaped away from Riku, staring at Roxas.

"Roxas! I…I can…uh…" he choked out. Roxas, blushing immensely, turned and left, but not before mumbling "It's alright. You can continue."

Sora watched him go, then turned back to Riku, who smiled.

"You wanna go after him?" he asked. Sora shrugged.

"Nah, I'll talk to him later. Now, where were we?" he asked. Riku smiled.

"Oh, I think I remember."

: : :

Roxas knocked on Axel's door for the second time this week. This time, however, his whole family was with him. The door opened, and Demyx smiled out at everyone.

"About time! Oh, you brought pie!" he exclaimed, leading them inside. Sora and Kairi were laughing. Cloud was shaking his head. They all entered the kitchen, and Roxas immediately smelled delicious cooking. He could see pasta cooking in a pot, and in another was thick red sauce. He could also smell the distinct scent of chicken.

"Oh, my goodness, you're early." she said, noticeably happier than last time. She walked over and shook Cloud's hand. "Renee Ember." she said. Cloud nodded politely.

"Cloud Strife. I would be their older brother." he replied. Renee nodded, smiling softly. It was so comforting, Roxas nearly forgot the frightening woman he had seen the night before. Now that he looked closer, he did notice the blue tattoos under her eyes.

"It's unfortunate your parents couldn't make it. Where are they?" she asked. Cloud seemed to tense up, and he threw a quick glance Roxas' way. He shrugged.

"They're out of town for a while. Cloud's watching us." Xion said. Cloud and Roxas silently thanked her, and Renee nodded.

"Oh well, another time perhaps. Anyway, I'm making chicken parmesan. I hope you like it!" she said. Roxas and Sora stared, drooling at the though of such delicious food.

"If you don't close your mouths we might have to search for higher ground." said Axel, coming down the stairs. He waved happily, and Roxas waved back.

"So, welcome to our humble abode, and to Roxas and Xion, welcome back." Axel said, bowing theatrically. They all laughed, and Axel brought them into the living room. Everyone sat, except Kairi, who was standing next to Lea, flirting with him. He seemed generally amused, and Roxas could tell that Lea liked it. Naminé was sitting with Demyx, who was teaching her how to play a game of cards that could last for hours and only needed two people. Sora was sitting with Cloud, arguing over something, while Roxas was sitting next to Xion on the most comfortable couch in the world. Suddenly Axel dropped himself next to Roxas.

"Hey there Roxie." he said. Roxas frowned.

"Don't call me that." he protested. Axel laughed.

"Sorry, I just thought it was cute." he replied. Roxas rolled his eyes and was about to hurl a well thought out insult at Axel when Renee stepped in.

"Dinner is served!" she called. Everyone stood and rushed to the kitchen, not wanting to waste a single moment they could be spending eating.

: : :

After dinner, Roxas found himself alone on the deck in the backyard. As he was about to turn back to the house, he saw Axel standing in the doorway.

"I thought you might be lonely out here." he said, smiling. Roxas smiled weakly. "Oh come one. That was hardly a smile." Axel said. Roxas couldn't help but laugh. Axel nodded. "Better." he said.

"Is there something you wanted?" Roxas asked. Axel shrugged.

"Not really. Just thought you might like the company." he replied. Roxas smiled.

"Your mom is a really good cook." said Roxas. Axel laughed.

"That she is. I always say 'If you can find better food, then you're in France.' Actually, she makes good French food too, so I guess that doesn't work." he said. This time Roxas laughed. Axel smiled.

"I've always wanted to try escargot." said Roxas. Axel laughed again.

"Snails? They're not actually that bad. Especially when they're smothered in cheese and garlic. They have some at a new restaurant downtown. I'll take you sometime." he said. Roxas blushed a little at the thought of Axel treating him to snails. Then he laughed. The whole idea of it was kind of ridiculous.

"Sounds good." Roxas said. Axel smiled.

"Great." he replied.

"Roxas! Time to go!" called Cloud from inside. Roxas sighed.

"Guess that's my cue. See you later Axel." he said, turning to go. Then his foot caught on a loose board and he tripped. Axel grabbed his arm, spinning him around to lift him back up.

Roxas wasn't sure how it happened, but he ended up with Axel's arms around him. The red haired boy looked down at him for one second, then bent down and kissed Roxas.

Roxas didn't even think. He didn't hesitate. He just kissed back.

A knock at the glass doors snapped them back to reality. Roxas whipped his head around, ready to see Cloud staring at him. Instead he saw Xion. She was smiling, giving a thumbs up. Roxas heard Axel chuckle. Then Xion made a 'hurry up' gesture, and walked away.

"Well…that was interesting." Axel said. Roxas blushed deeply, then started walking towards the door.

"Night, Axel." he said. Axel sighed.

"Night Roxas." he said back. But Roxas was already gone.

"Damn. I hope that wasn't a mistake."

: : :

Roxas went to his room the second they got home. His lips were still tingling. Axel had kissed him. And he had kissed back.

And as much as Roxas hated to admit it, it felt good. Maybe Xion was right. Maybe he was falling for Axel.

Only time would tell though. Tomorrow he would go to school, and see what Axel did. Then he would decide what to do next.

Despite his intense anxiousness, Roxas fell asleep quickly. And for the second time in five years, Roxas had a good dream. A dream about Axel. About Axel kissing him.

**: : :**

**Aw, how cute. Anyway, please review! I need reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay guys, this is where the story takes a drastic turn. No longer shall it simply be a sappy love story (of course, there will still be sappy, fluffy moments). Actually, the entire chapter is more or less a filler so I could add the end.**

**I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: Do I Even Need To Say It?**

**: : :**

**Chapter 4**

'_What to do? I just don't know. I mean, he kissed me. That part I get. But,why? Does he have feelings for me? Or for that matter, do I have feelings for him? It's just way too confusing. I'll just have to wait and see._'

Roxas placed his little black book back in his drawer. Xion had gotten him the book after his therapist suggested he start writing down his feelings. At first it seemed stupid, but he found it was an easier way to organize his thoughts, especially since he tended to experience short term memory loss.

"Rox, you're gonna be late!" called Sora from the hall. Roxas stepped out and saw Sora, ready to go. A rarity with him. He was always stalling. Riku seemed to be making him better.

"So, Roxas, what's up with you and Axel?" Roxas spun and saw Xion in the doorway of her room.

"Nothing." said Roxas. When he was rewarded with a skeptical look from Xion, he added "Yet."

"What do you mean? I saw you kissing him! That's not nothing!" she cried. Roxas sighed.

"I mean, he just kissed me, and then I left. I don't know. I don't even know how I feel about him yet." he explained. Xion shook her head.

"Well it's pretty obvious he has feelings for you. Come one Roxie, face it." she said. Roxas cringed.

"Don't call me Roxie. I hate it." he snapped, with more force than necessary. Xion frowned.

"What's wrong with the name. You acted the same when Axel called you that." she asked. Roxas felt his eyes start to sting.

"Mom. She used to call me that." he said quietly. Xion gasped, and her hand immediately covered her mouth.

"Oh…oh Roxas. I'm so sorry. I'd completely forgotten." she said. He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I need to let the past go. It's over." he said. Xion nodded, and gave her brother a hug. Then she looked at him kindly and smiled.

"I think we should go. Cloud's driving us today, and he hates being late."

: : :

Words couldn't explain the tension Roxas felt when he walked through the doors. He was constantly looking around, hoping he wouldn't run into Axel. He was successful all morning, and joined Sora and Riku at lunch, along with Hayner, Olette and Xion. Roxas noted with amusement that Kairi and Lea were together at a different table.

"I can't believe you two are going out!" said Olette happily. Hayner nodded.

"I certainly didn't see it coming. But, congrats anyway." he said. They chatted cheerfully until the bell sounded, signaling that it was time to get their butts in gear if they didn't want to be late.

: : :

Roxas' next class was his favorite.

Phys-Ed.

Plus, today was dodgeball day. Ms. Miller was the Phys-Ed teacher, though you would never expect it. She was short, about Xion's height, and she had copper colored hair. She was so sweet, most of the time, but one thing Roxas knew was to never get on her bad side. She wasn't mean or anything, but she could be a little cold. Of course, she was one of Roxas' favorite teachers.

"Okay guys, it's dodgeball day. Get in the usual teams." she said. Miller, being as she was, always made our teams for us. That way it was always fair.

"Here's the rules. If you get hit, you don't get to wimp out and sit on the bench. We're playing King's Court this time. The players stay within the black lines. If you're hit, you go to the other side and stand behind the black line. If you get the ball, hit somebody else and you can go back on your side. Take out the entire team and you win. And begin!"

Miller, again being as she was, didn't play conventional dodgeball. They didn't use two or three balls. There were seven of them flying around the court. There was a strategy there. Each team has seven people on the court at a time. If your team could get all seven balls, you could murder the other team.

Needless to say, it's really crazy.

But Roxas was especially good at dodgeball. He could dodge like a pro, and his aim was pretty good too. After an hour of pelting each other with foam balls, Roxas and his team finally won. Smiling, they celebrated by hurling all seven balls at Miller, all at the same time.

: : :

The rest of the day went by too fast, and Roxas found himself at his locker. Everyone else had left, and Roxas wanted to get home too. Luckily, he had no homework, so he had all night to do whatever he wanted.

"Hey Roxie!" called Axel, running up to the blonde boy.

"Don't call me that. Please." he said. Axel frowned.

"Okay. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you. About last night." he said. Roxas sighed. He knew this was coming.

"Okay, but can we do it at my place? I really want to get out of school." he said. Axel nodded, and they walked out together.

: : :

Elsewhere, an aging man stood over a lifeless body. He was pale like a ghost, because he knew exactly who had done this. The poor woman was torn open, eviscerated. There was only one man who could have done such a horribly thing. And that man was supposed to be dead.

"Chief Mills, what's the verdict?" asked the deputy. Chief Charlie Mills looked grimly at his deputy.

"It's him. I think I need to pay the Hart family a long overdue visit."

: : :

Roxas sat across from Axel, watching him carefully.

"So." said Axel. He sighed. "I think we need to talk about last night."

"I agree. First, why did you kiss me?" Roxas asked. Axel looked at him. He didn't look surprised.

"Well, that's easy. I have feelings for you. I think the real question is do you have feelings for me too?" he asked. Roxas hesitated a moment before replying.

"I…I'm not sure. I mean, I feel something. I just…I don't know what." he replied. Axel nodded.

"Fair enough. I mean, I just kissed you out of nowhere. I don't expect you to immediately fall in love with me." he said. Roxas nodded.

"Thanks. I just…" Roxas was cut off when the doorbell rang. He sighed and went over to answer it, surprised to see Police Chief Mills.

"Hey Roxas, how've you been?" he asked. There was something strange about him.

"Hey Chief. I've been good. What's up?" he asked.

"Are Cloud and Xion home?" he asked. Roxas nodded. Chief Mills sighed. "And the others?" he asked.

"They're all out right now. What's wrong?" Roxas asked, worried. Chief Mills sighed.

"Can I come in Roxas? I need to speak to the three of you." he said. Just then Axel came up behind Roxas.

"Oh, who's this?" asked Chief Mills. Roxas introduced him to Axel, and led him inside.

"Cloud! Xion! Chief Mills is here!" called Roxas. The two came down the stars together, and they all went into the living room.

"Should…should I leave?" asked Axel. Roxas looked at Cloud, who shrugged.

"No, you can stay if you want." Roxas said. Axel nodded, and sat next to him.

"What's up Chief?" asked Cloud. Chief Mills looked very grim.

"There's been a murder." he said. Cloud seemed to pale considerably, and when he didn't say anything Roxas spoke up.

"Okay, what's that to do with us?" he asked. Chief Mills sighed.

"The poor woman was ripped apart. Cloud, it's him. He's back." Chief Mills said. Cloud shook his head.

"No. No way. He's dead, he has to be." he whispered. Xion and Roxas exchanged a look, and Xion stood up.

"Tell us what's going on." she demanded. Chief Mills looked to Cloud, who nodded. The Chief returned his gaze to Xion and Roxas.

"This is going to be hard for you to hear. It's John Wakefield." he said. Roxas noticed Xion's eyes widen.

"Who?" he asked. Xion looked at him.

"Roxas, don't you remember? It's him. The Ripper." she said. At that moment Roxas felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Suddenly he remembered the name. Images flooded him mind, and one stuck out brightly.

A headline on the news.

'Andrew Strife and Abby Hart Murdered by the Ripper.'

**: : :**

**OMG!**

**Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay guys, I have once again changed my pen name. Unfortunately I don't own KHII, but my friend does and I just passed Axel's death. He was my favorite, so to honour him I have changed my name to The 8th Nobody. It would have been Flurry of Dancing Flames, but that was taken. Oh well. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter of Sanctuary, which is long overdue. Also, after this I'll be gone for a while again, cuz I'm going for surgery and it'll be at least 3 weeks before I'll be able to get working again. Until then, enjoy and see you soon.**

**Insert redundant disclaimer here.**

**: : :**

**Chapter 5**

"What…no…he's alive? I thought you killed him!" Roxas cried. Chief Mills shook his head.

"I chased him all the way up to Hangman's Edge. I shot him, and he fell into the ocean. It was a 400 foot drop. I had to assume he was dead. But we never recovered his body. He's back, and he's started killing again." the Chief replied grimly. Cloud stood up quickly, nearly sending the coffee table flying.

"Why now? It's been five years, why has he started killing again now?" he demanded. Before the Chief could reply there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." said Axel. "You guys continue." he left, and Cloud returned his attention to Chief Mills.

"I'm sorry Cloud. I don't know." he said.

"I do." Everyone turned and were surprised to see a second head of bright red hair.

"Mother!" cried Axel as he came up behind her. He was followed by Deputy Carlson.

"I'm sorry Chief but she was very persistent." he said. Chief Mills sighed.

"No visitors, I said. Don't tell anybody, I said." he mumbled, standing up and walking over to Renee, holding out a hand.

"Charlie Mills, Chief of the Destiny Islands Police Department. How can I help you?" he asked. Renee shook his hand politely, not smiling.

"Special Agent Renee Ember, former Chief of the Twilight Town Police. I'm currently working as the head of the Castle Oblivion Special Investigations Department, or COSID." she explained. Roxas stared at her in disbelief. He walked over to Axel.

"I thought you said she was head of Ember Enterprises." he whispered.

"Well, she's actually just the co-owner. My dad's the one who runs it all." he explained. Then his features softened.

"Why didn't you tell me about your parents?" he asked. Roxas sighed.

"It's not exactly something you bring up in conversation. Besides, it's not something I like to talk about." he replied. Axel nodded.

"Fair enough." he said. They turned their attention back to the others.

"I can answer your questions, in regards to what Wakefield has been up to. About four years ago people started getting mysteriously murdered in Twilight Town. That was back when I was the Chief of Police there. I figured out through some old records that he had been here in Destiny Islands before, but I also figured out that he has killed in two other places before here. Traverse Town, and Radiant Garden. I chased him for a year before he disappeared. Then I became a member of the COSID, and we dealt with another case involving him, this time in Hollow Bastion. It wasn't until I became the head of the COSID that I gained access to all the files. There was a pattern. Everyone he has ever killed was born in the same place. An island called Harper's Island. He kills anybody who ever lived there. I still haven't been able to find out why. But at the scene of his last victim in Hollow Bastion, he left a message.

" I must return to my Destiny.

"It was scrawled in blood over his last victim. It was when I did some research that I learned what he meant. He told us he was coming back here. And I know why. He missed a victim last time. Someone who was born on Harper's Island and left immediately after." she paused there and Xion stepped towards her.

"Who is it?" she demanded. Renee Ember sighed.

"Cloud Strife." Xion stared blankly at her. Everyone looked like they had been drained of blood.

"No." said Roxas. "No. No way. Not again. I can't lose anybody else. No…NO NO NO!" he shrieked, clutching the sides of his head and doubling over. Roxas felt a hand on his back, and heard Axel's voice.

"Roxas. Roxas, breathe. Everything will be okay. Just relax and breathe." he said. Roxas tensed up, then swatted Axel's hand away and stepped back.

"Okay? How the hell is it going to be okay! My brother…my brother could die! And you're telling me to relax? What is wrong with you?" he cried. Suddenly he felt very dizzy.

"Roxas? Roxas, what's wrong?" asked Xion. She had noticed that he had become very pale, and he was starting to sway.

"I…I don't…feel so…" and he fell. The last thing Roxas felt was strong arms around him. The last thing he saw was Axel's face. And the last thing he heard was Axel's voice calling his name.

: : :

"He's waking up!"

"Go get Cloud. Bring Axel too. He'll want to see Axel."

"Hey there. How you feeling?" asked Xion as Roxas opened his eyes. Roxas groaned, looking around at his room. He felt like crap.

"Like crap." he stated. Xion nodded.

"You're sick again aren't you? You haven't been taking you meds." she asked. Roxas knew what she meant, and nodded.

"Yeah, I've been feeling a little…off lately. I guess I just forgot to take them." he replied. Just another problem to deal with. Not one he wanted to worry about.

"Roxas, you can't just forget to take them. They're important and you know it." she said. Roxas nodded, but before more could be said Cloud and Axel walked in, followed by Renee. Cloud immediately walked over to Xion and whispered something, to which Xion simply nodded. Cloud sighed and went over to Roxas.

"Idiot. Drugs, man, drugs!" he said. Roxas sighed and nodded. Then Axel came up.

"You okay?" he asked. Roxas nodded, and Axel smiled. Xion and Cloud left the room, Xion knowing that they wanted some privacy and Cloud wanting to talk to Renee about Wakefield.

"What's going on? Why did you pass out like that?" Axel demanded. Roxas looked at him.

"Just…stressed out." he replied. Not the whole truth, but not a lie either. Axel shook his head.

"Something's up with you, and with all my pre-psychology stuff I can't figure out what. But as long as you're okay, I'll trust what you say." he said. Roxas smiled.

"Thanks Axel." he said. Axel shrugged. Then, he pulled a chair over and sat down next to Roxas' bed.

"I think we were in the middle of something. We've established that I have feelings for you, but what about you?" he asked. Roxas sighed.

"I don't know. I mean, I feel something, but I don't know what. It's like, I'm attracted to you, but I'm not sure what kind of attraction it is. I feel so confused." he said. Axel nodded.

"Fair enough." he said. Roxas laughed.

"Is that all you can say? That's the third time you've said it today." he said. Axel shrugged. Before he could say anything, Xion stepped in, holding a glass of water and three bottles of pills.

"Before you get too comfy, I thought I'd bring you these." she said, handing Roxas the pills and leaving. Roxas grabbed the first bottle and took one pill. As he was putting it down Axel noticed the label.

"Whoa. Roxas, these are some heavy duty anti-psychotics." he said. Roxas nodded.

"And that is why I only take one. After my parents…you know…I kind of had a breakdown. I would go from crazy breakdown to violent depression. That's what these are for." he said, holding up the second bottle. Axel saw that these were anti-depressants.

"Wow." he said. Roxas nodded, taking one from the anti depressant bottle and swallowing it as well. Then he grabbed the third bottle.

"What are those?" Axel asked. Roxas hesitated.

"They're for something else." he said. Axel stared at him, then glanced at the label.

"I've never even heard of those before." he stated. Roxas nodded.

"They're not common." he said, taking two from the third bottle. Axel shrugged, and when Roxas had finished with his pills Axel stood up.

"Going somewhere?" Roxas asked. Axel sighed.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I have an essay due tomorrow for sociology and I only have a half a page. But, it was nice talking to you. I hope you decide soon." he said. Then he leaned down and kissed Roxas on the lips. When he pulled away he smiled.

"Just in case I don't get to do it again." he said. Then he left, and Roxas was left staring after him.

"Screw uncertainty. I am definitely in love." he mumbled, before drifting off to sleep.

: : :

That night, as Axel sat at his computer, typing the last page of his essay, he remembered what he had wanted to look up. Typing in the name, he found the page he wanted.

"Most commonly used for treating…whoa…no way…Roxas…"

**: : :**

**Uh-oh! What could it be? I want you to tell me what you think and maybe I'll borrow some ideas. Review guys!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Soriku Sidestory

**Hey guys, I'm back early. They cancelled my surgery, so I decided to post this, a little Soriku Sidestory to show how Sora and Riku discovered their feelings. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own KH. I tried send my flying monkeys to get it, but then I realized that flying monkeys don't exist, so that put an end to that.**

**: : :**

**Chapter 6-A Soriku Sidestory**

Sora walked quickly through the halls, hoping to catch his best friend before he left for home. To his surprise, he found Riku at his locker alone. He was usually the first one to leave.

"Hey, Riku!" he called, attracting the silver haired teen's attention. He smiled and Sora suddenly felt like melting. He hated to admit it, but he was hopelessly in love with his best friend. He struggled to keep his feeling hidden, and usually failed.

"Hey, Sora. What's up?" asked Riku as Sora reached his locker. The brunette was panting, having run all the way down the hall.

"Riku…wanna…hang out…" he gasped. Riku laughed and Sora's heart jumped.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" he asked. Sora grinned brightly, and Riku had to struggle to keep from exploding. Sora's smile was so beautiful. He hated to admit it, but he was hopelessly in love with the brunette.

"Let's go to the café down on third. They make awesome chocolate milkshakes!" he said. Riku smiled.

"Great." he replied.

: : :

Riku laughed as Sora tried to do an impression of Mr. Luxord, the math teacher.

"Ah, fate is in your favor. You have done well on the test!" he said in an exaggerated British accent. When he finished, Riku paid and they left. Sora spent the whole trip to Riku's house trying to perfect his impression of Principal Xemnas. He was failing miserably. Finally Riku stopped him.

"Let me try." he said. He cleared his throat and threw his arms wide.

"Welcome, friends, to our school. Today is a momentous day! We have just won the regional award for best school academically!" he said. Sora laughed so loud people turned and stared.

"That was amazing. I wish I could talk like that!" he said. Riku smiled.

: : :

The two spent the rest of the day at Riku's house, playing video games and laughing at each other for no reason.

"Well, I have to go." said Sora, getting up to leave. Riku walked with him to the door, and as Sora was about to go, Riku grabbed his arm.

"Sora, wait." he said. Sora turned.

"What's up?" he asked. Riku sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it anymore." he said, pulling Sora in and kissing him. He was surprised when Sora returned the kiss. Then he pulled away.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry Sora." he said, turning to go back inside. Sora grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Oh no you don't. I've waited a long time to do this." he said, wrapping his arms around Riku's waist and kissing him full force. Riku picked Sora up and carried him back inside. The two spent the next three hours making out before Sora finally concluded that he should leave. However, Riku had other ideas.

"You could always spend the night here." he said. Sora smiled, and called home, telling Xion that he wouldn't be home tonight. Then he hung up and walked back over to Riku, sitting on his lap and kissing him deeply. When he decided that he couldn't go without air any longer, he pulled away and smiled at Riku.

"Hey Riku…" he said. Riku looked at him. "I love you." Sora finished. Riku smiled, kissing Sora passionately.

"I love you too." he whispered.

**: : :**

**Just a little bit of a thing. I hope you liked it. Please Review, I'm not getting any reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I'm finally back! Merry Christmas! Anyway, I have decided to wrap this up. There will only be one more chapter after this, and maybe an epilogue. I feel that it's time for this story to end.**

**Also, since you guys never sent in any suggestions, I made up an illness for Roxie. Hope you like. This chapter will be shorter, but there's a bonus at the end.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Sorry guys.**

**: : :**

**Chapter 7**

"…most commonly used for treating respiratory capillary diffusion." Axel repeated. There was no way Roxas had it. Axel had only heard of it a few times. It was a condition of the lungs in which the blood diffused through tears in the capillaries surrounding the air sacs in the lungs. Eventually the lungs would fill with blood and the person could die, but they could survive up to 20 years before that happened. The symptoms were sudden dizziness, fainting, nausea, and coughing up blood, along with occasional nosebleeds.

"But the fainting, the nausea, it could be anything. There's no way he's this sick." Axel whispered. But there was no other explanation for the medicine. Roxas was dying. Axel had to talk to him about it. There was no way he would just sit by and let Roxas die. As he read down he found that the simplest treatment was a lung transplant and blood transfusions to make up for the blood loss. Medication could also be taken to expand the capillary walls and limit the amount of blood by making the tears smaller.

It was settled. Tomorrow Axel would find Roxas and talk to him. Everything would work out.

: : :

Roxas wasn't at school the next day, or the day after that. Axel had tried to find him, only to learn from Xion that he still wasn't feeling well. Axel sighed and asked her to wish him well for him. Then he walked home, trying to come up with a plan. He had to find some way to bring it up to Roxas.

Axel growled in frustration. The poor boy was dying and here was Axel going _home_! He should be going straight to Roxas and asking him about what was going on. So he would.

: : :

"Wow, I actually came." Axel whispered, staring at Roxas' front door. He brought his fist up and knocked twice. There was a shuffling, and Cloud opened the door.

"Hey Axel, Roxas is in the living room, gotta go." he said, running to the car in the driveway. Axel stared for a minute, then went inside.

Sure enough, there was Roxas sitting on the couch in his pajamas watching old movies. He turned to look at Axel and the fiery headed teen wanted to cry. Roxas was deathly pale, except for his lips, which were bright red, and there were dark circles under his eyes that looked darker against his pale skin.

"Axel…what…why….hey." he said. Axel sighed and walked in, sitting next to the clueless blonde.

"Roxas you look awful." he stated simply. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah…I'm sick…just not feeling well, I guess." he lied. Axel shook his head. This was probably the time when he needed to be direct.

"Don't lie to me. I looked up the medicine you take. That third bottle you wouldn't tell me about. I get why you didn't want to tell me what they were for." he said before Roxas could say anything. There was a long silence before Roxas replied.

"So…you know that I'm…sick?" he asked. Axel nodded. When he looked over at Roxas he saw tears forming in the boy's eyes.

"Roxas, it's gonna be okay." he said. Roxas shook his head.

"Don't be stupid. It's not gonna be okay. I'm dying, Axel, and all I can do is sit here and wait for it to happen. They put me on a waiting list for new lungs, but the odds of finding two good lungs for me are slim because my blood type is rare and I'm not a top priority because I can live for a while with my condition. But in the end I'm still going to die." he sobbed, tears pouring from his bright blue eyes. Axel sighed and wrapped his arms around the blonde boy.

"I don't want to die Axel. I want to live. I want to be with you. I love you!" he cried. The words struck Axel like a 2x4 to the face. He sat Roxas up and looked into his eyes.

"What did you say?" he asked. Roxas was still crying.

"I love you…" he said quietly. Axel smiled, and before Roxas knew what was happening, Axel had pulled him in and was giving him the softest, most loving kiss Roxas had ever felt. It lasted a few seconds, and when Axel pulled away, he was smiling softly.

"Well, I love you too." he said, holding the side of Roxas' face so he was looking directly into the soft emerald orbs. "So it's time to stop crying, okay? Everything's going to be fine, at least for now. Because I'm not going anywhere. I'm never going to leave you alone, understand? I'll be here, and I'll love you no matter what." he said. Roxas suddenly found that he was no longer crying, and a smile spread across his face. He threw himself into Axel's arms.

"Thanks Ax." he whispered. Axel smiled at the nickname.

"No problem Rox." he replied.

: : :

Axel spent the next three days at Roxas' side, holding him, kissing him, and just being with him. On the third day Axel started asking simple questions about Roxas and his condition.

"Hey, what is your blood type anyway?" he asked suddenly. Roxas thought for a minute.

"AB negative." he replied. Axel's mouth dropped open.

"I'm AB negative!" he cried. Roxas laughed.

"Something else we have in common. Can I borrow a couple lungs?" Roxas asked jokingly. Axel sighed theatrically.

"Well, as much as I'd love to spare some, these are all I have, and I kind of need them." he said, tapping his chest. Roxas laughed again.

"Cloud is AB negative too. So is Xion. Just the three of us, the others are all different." he said. Axel shook his head.

"What are the odds?" he said. Roxas shrugged.

"Axel, there's something else that's been bothering me." he said suddenly. Axel looked over at him, already knowing what he was going to say.

"It's…it's about what your mom said. About Cloud. I don't think I could handle another death. My parents was one thing, but Cloud's raised us since we were little. I wouldn't be able to go on if he died." he said. Axel nodded.

"I understand. You guys are really close. But don't worry. My mother's the best there is. She'll get him. I'm sure of it." he said. Roxas frowned and rested his head on Axel's shoulder. The older boy put his arm around Roxas, pulling him close.

"Everything's going to work out. I'll make sure you're safe. I promise." he said.

**: : :**

**Quotes from the next Chapter**

**: : :**

"It's him! He's here!"

"Cloud! Where are you!"

"No…please don't die…no…"

"I will kill that son of a bitch."

"ROXAS!"

**: : :**

**Dun dun dun!**

**Please review guys, I need some support!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is it guys. The end, the last chapter, the final installment of Sanctuary.**

**Actually, I'm going to write an epilogue, so don't worry.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who sticked with me throught this rather difficult story. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope to hear from you all in my future endeavours.**

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, don't own KH. I know it sucks. But it's true.**

**: : :**

**Chapter 8**

One week later, Roxas' worst fears came true.

He looked over at his fiery-haired boyfriend. They where in Axel's car, driving down a road with tall trees on either side. They were on their way to Cloud's cabin, which he had bought a year before, out in the woods. Cloud had taken Xion and Sora out already, and Kairi would be coming with Lea, Renee and Demyx that evening. Naminé was staying with her friend instead of coming.

"I can't believe you actually want to come." Roxas said, laughing. Axel shrugged.

"I think it'll be fun. I can take you out in the woods and rape you where no one can hear us." he said, his face dead serious. Roxas looked at him, half grinning.

"Yay." he replied, and Axel burst out laughing. The rest of the trip went by fast. It was 5:00, and Renee and the others would be here in an hour. Axel pulled his car into the driveway. Turning it off, he and Roxas got out. Roxas stopped when he saw the front door smashed open and Cloud's truck doors still open. Everything was still in the truck.

"Axel." Roxas whispered. Axel nodded.

"Stay here. I'll go check it out." He said. Roxas shook his head.

"No way. I'm coming too." He said, running up to Axel. They slowly approached the house. Axel took one step inside, and immediately stepped back, forcing Roxas outside.

"Stay here." He demanded, and he got his phone. Roxas watched him take a few steps away, and he started talking.

"Mom. Yeah. I know, but listen. Something's wrong. No, Roxas and I are okay, but…mom…LISTEN!" he shouted, and Roxas turned to the now half closed door.

"Mom. It's him! He's here!" he said, and Roxas' heart stopped. He walked towards the door, ignoring Axel's shout.

Roxas took one step inside and felt sick. He was in the front porch, and on the wall next to the door that lead to the main room was red. Smeared red letters.

'RUN'

Roxas shook his head. He was suddenly aware of Axel behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Roxas…" he said. Roxas didn't listen. He went in, looking for the source of the red.

"Cloud! Where are you!" he screamed. Axel immediately clamped his hand over the younger boy's mouth.

"Quiet. Don't yell. Come on, we'll look together." He said, taking Roxas by the hand. Roxas nodded, and they started walking slowly through the cabin. It was actually huge, almost as big as Axel's house. They were currently in the living room. There were other small red stains on the floor and Roxas almost burst into tears. Suddenly there was a shuffling behind them, and they turned, Axel standing defensively in front of Roxas. The closet burst open, and someone leaped out, a small knife-like sword in one hand.

"CLOUD!" Roxas cried.

"Roxas? Damn, why are you still here. Didn't you see the message?" he said. Roxas' eyes widened.

"The red?" he asked. Cloud nodded. "Was it…blood?" he asked. Cloud shook his head.

"Paint. When we got here the door was broken down. Whoever did it had a huge hunting knife and cut away until he could kick it in. I knew it was dangerous, so I left the message and started searching." He explained.

"With a sword? When did you get a sword?" Axel asked. Cloud smiled.

"Around the same time I bought the camp." He replied. Roxas smiled.

"And you know how to use it right?" he asked. Cloud looked from Roxas to the sword, then back to Roxas.

"No." he replied. Roxas and Axel stared.

"What about Xion?" Roxas asked. Cloud frowned.

"I told her to hide. She's in the basement." He said. There was a huge bang upstairs.

"Damn. We have to get out of here. Xion!" he called, and the door at the foot of the stairs opened. Xion walked out, smiling.

"Roxas! Thank god you're okay! I was afraid-" A door upstairs blew its hinges. Cloud yelled.

Everything happened in slow motion.

Xion stopped moving.

A man came down the stair at an alarming pace.

Axel was yelling at her. Cloud too.

Then cold steel came through her chest.

She didn't scream. She didn't cry. She just looked down as John Wakefield's giant hunting knife slid backwards into her chest and out her back again. Then she fell. Cloud screamed in rage, hurling himself at Wakefield, swinging his sword with terrifying force.

Wakefield's eyes widened. His hunting knife clattered to the floor.

His hand still wrapped loosely around it.

Cloud screamed again and swung a second time. But the Ripper wouldn't be caught off guard again. He grabbed Cloud's arm and twisted. There was a horrible crunch, and Cloud dropped the sword. He screamed in pain, his wrist bent at a frightening angle. Wakefield growled and grabbed the sword…

The doubled over, clutching the stub where his arm was. He yelled and turned, stumbling outside, still clutching the sword.

Roxas screamed now, and ran to Xion. There was blood pouring from the huge gap in her chest. She was coughing up blood, still alive.

"Xion! It's gonna be okay Xion!" he said. She shook her head.

"Not this time, baby brother." She coughed. Roxas cried, tears dripping into the pool of blood around Xion.

"Hey, you're only 2 minutes older than me." He said, trying to take her mind off the pain.

"Bye bye, Roxie." She said, closing her eyes.

"No…please don't die…no…" Roxas cried. But Xion had stopped breathing. Roxas screamed. He looked over and saw Wakefield's knife laying next to Xion. He reached for it.

"Roxas…" Axel whispered, but Roxas ignored him. He stared from the knife to Xion. He put the knife down.

"I'll call an ambulance." He said. He turned, reaching for his phone. Roxas sat and cried. He had lost his parents, and now his sister, his best friend. She was the only thing that kept him going. Now what?

"Roxas, they're coming. My mom should be here soon too." Axel said. Roxas ignored him again. Instead, he stood and ran out the door.

"Roxas!" Axel called, running after the blond. Roxas ran outside and looked down. A trail of blood.

"I'll kill that son of a bitch." Roxas hissed. He followed it and found the Ripper standing in a clearing. He turned and stared at Roxas.

"What do you want, boy?" he asked.

"You killed my sister." Roxas cried. Wakefield nodded.

"She was in my way." He replied. This made Roxas' blood boil.

"You killed my parents too. Five years ago." He said. Wakefield nodded.

"I remember. The last ones I killed in Destiny Islands. Then the sheriff shot me." He replied. He sounded so calm. Roxas screamed and ran forward. When he was close, Wakefield too three steps and plunged the sword he still held into Roxas' chest, piercing his lung. He sighed.

"You didn't have to die today, boy." He said. Roxas laughed.

"You do." He growled, and Wakefield felt something plunge into his heart. He looked down and saw his own hunting knife protruding from his chest. He looked up at Roxas, who pulled the sword from his lung and threw it away.

"Damn lung is useless anyway." He said. Wakefield fell, dead before he hit the ground.

"Roxas!" He turned and saw Axel running into the clearing. Then he felt himself falling.

"I'm coming, Xion."

"ROXAS!"

: : :

Roxas' eyes opened. He saw white.

"Am I dead?" he asked. Suddenly there was a flash of bright red.

"He's awake!" called Axel. Roxas shot up, and immediately regretted it. His chest seared, and he fell back.

"Whoa, take it easy, you just had your lungs replaced." Axel said. Roxas' eyes went wide.

"What?" he whispered, looking towards his boyfriend.

"Turns out Xion was a donor, and you were dying, which put you at the top of the list. You officially have two new healthy lungs, my friend. You won't be dying any time soon." He explained. Roxas felt like crying. He jumped up, ignoring the pain in his chest, and kissed his boyfriend.

"Hey, get a room." Cloud said, walking in. Roxas turned bright red, matching his boyfriend's hair.

"Cloud! I…I can…explain…" he stuttered. Cloud raised a hand.

"No need. I knew all along. I saw you two kissing outside his house the first time we went there." He said. Roxas stared. "Besides," Cloud continued, "you just had surgery. You should be resting." Roxas noticed his arm was wrapped tight and in a sling.

"Your arm." Roxas said. Cloud looked down at it.

"Yeah, turns out he not only shattered my wrist, but he broke the arm too. Bastard sure knew what he was doing." He said. Roxas frowned.

"Is he…?" he began. Cloud nodded.

"As a doorknob…doorbell?" Cloud said. Roxas laughed.

"Doornail." He said. Cloud smiled.

"That too." He grinned. Roxas laughed, then double over.

"Come on, Xion, you're killing me." Roxas laughed. Cloud and Axel both laughed too, a sad, mourning laugh.

Roxas looked over at Axel. He may have lost his sister, but he still had this amazing, beautiful, perfect boyfriend.

And he couldn't be happier.

**: : :**

**The End**

**Come back for the Epilogue, and remember...**

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	9. Author's Note

Okay guys, thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope you all enjoyed Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll write an Epilogue. I just can't really find anything to write. I feel the last chapter wrapped it up pretty good, so I'll end with that.

Be on the lookout for the last few Chapters of House of Sorrow, my new Bleach fic Frozen Judgment, which will be relatively short, and a new Digimon fic that will pop up after that. Thank you all, and I love you ALL! (In a friendly, non-sexual sort of way)

BYE BYE!


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